Psychedelic magic mushroom component could help with PTSD and depression, study finds
Throughout human history, psychedelic plants — such as psilocybe mushrooms, peyote and ayahuasca — have been used in “sacred spiritual and healing ceremonies” by native groups in Central and South America for centuries.
A natural component in so-called “magic” mushrooms — psilocybin — produces psychoactive effects and could help with conditions such as PTSD and depression, a new study has found.
Researchers found that small doses “were generally well tolerated” with no harmful short or long-term effects in healthy people, according to the study published Jan. 4 by researchers at King’s College in London.
This is “the largest randomised controlled trial of psilocybin to date,” according to the study, which found the mushroom component can create “a non-ordinary state of consciousness characterised by changes in emotional state and perception, including experiences of self, space and time.”
The work “is an important first demonstration that the simultaneous administration of psilocybin can be explored further,” said Dr. James Rucker, the study’s lead author.
Healthy participants of 89 people were selected and 30 were given 25 mg of the mushroom’s psychoactive ingredient while another 30 were given 10 mg, according to the research. For comparison, the other 29 were given a placebo.
They were closely monitored for six to eight hours in separate rooms with a therapist to support each person, then participants were monitored for 12 weeks after the dosage.
Former Psilocybin Studies
In the early to mid-1960s, psilocybin was studied in psychiatric research and for psychotherapy after Swiss chemist Albert Hoffman “first isolated and later synthesised” it in 1957 and 1958, the study notes.
However, this research stopped after psilocybin was classified as a Schedule 1 drug “due to international legal controls,” authors said. Then, research later resumed in the mid-1990s.
Researchers pointed to more recent studies that have reported the efficacy of psilocybin for depression, “terminal-cancer-related anxiety,” obsessive-compulsive disorder and dependence on alcohol and nicotine.
The study of psilocybin has partially focused on its potential as an alternative to traditional therapies and medications. Researchers discussed how “current interventions for psychiatric disorders” can work for some, however “they fail others and are only partially successful in many.”
Because of this, there is “an urgent need for alternative approaches” and “a better understanding of the short- and long-term effects of psilocybin on emotional processing and social cognition is required.”
The Study
In the King’s College study, the 89 participants hadn’t used psilocybin within one year before receiving their controlled doses and no one withdrew from the research before its scheduled end.
The participants ate a light breakfast before consuming the drug that was administered in capsule form, according to the research.
“The first effects of psilocybin are seen about 20–30 min after administration, are most intense in the first 90–120 min and then gradually subside, typically resolving in ~5−6 h after administration,” the study noted.
After at least six hours, the “participants were assessed for safety” before being dismissed and coming the following day for more assessments.
Out of all participants, just 37.1% had former experience with psilocybin, according to researchers.
“Psilocybin induced expected, transient psychedelic experiences. These included 86 reports of hallucination, 57 of mood altered, 56 of illusion, 15 of euphoric mood and 11 of time perception altered,” the study said.
Four people reported feeling anxious the day they took the substance, including two given 25 mg of psilocybin, two that were given 10 mg and one person that was given a placebo.
Others reported “introspection, reflection and sense of oneness,” researchers wrote.
“Small differences in cognitive outcomes were seen between the groups, but no clinically relevant negative findings were identified.”
As a result, Rucker said that “this therapy has promise for people living with serious mental health problems, like treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and PTSD.”
“They can be extremely disabling, distressing and disruptive, but current treatment options for these conditions are ineffective or partially effective for many people.”
Psychedelic mushrooms were first decriminalized in Denver, Colorado, in 2019 and others have followed including Detroit, Michigan in Nov. 2021, according to PBS.
Oregon became the first U.S. state to legalize psilocybin in 2020, Oregonlive.com reported.
This story was originally published January 6, 2022 at 5:00 PM with the headline "Psychedelic magic mushroom component could help with PTSD and depression, study finds."
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